Winnipeg, Manitoba
August 23, 2007
BASF Canada
announced today several new developments with its
CLEARFIELD® Production System
that will bring significant new value and benefits to western
Canadian producers in 2008 and beyond. The developments
announced by BASF touch various aspects of the CLEARFIELD
Production System including seed, herbicides, intellectual
property and value-added offers to CLEARFIELD growers. The
CLEARFIELD Production System combines agronomically advanced
seed varieties and custom-designed imidazolinone herbicides to
provide extended grass and broadleaf weed control.
In announcing the changes, Ron Kehler, Marketing Manager for
BASF Canada said, "the CLEARFIELD Production System is getting
stronger all the time. Together with our seed partners we are
bringing new value to western Canadian producers and developing
a number of unique, made-for-Canada solutions that reflect the
requirements and diversity of Canadian agriculture today."
"With respect to seed specifically, there are several new
developments as a result of work we have undertaken with our
seed partners in various crops," Kehler said. In canola, there
will be four high-yielding CLEARFIELD hybrids available in 2008,
two of which are new and two of which were introduced in 2007.
There will also be four CLEARFIELD NexeraTM varieties available
in 2008, two of which are new.
BASF also anticipates the introduction of the CLEARFIELD
Production System for Sunflowers in 2008, Kehler said, noting
that there are five CLEARFIELD sunflower varieties that have
been approved for use as a part of this system. In addition to
CLEARFIELD canola and CLEARFIELD sunflowers, there is also a new
variety of CLEARFIELD wheat and a new CLEARFIELD lentil variety
that will be introduced for the 2008 season.
"The CLEARFIELD Production System is poised for significant
growth in both the short and longer term and the developments we
are announcing today are designed to support that growth,"
Kehler said.
In parallel with the seed developments for the CLEARFIELD
Production System, there are also a number of applications for
registration for new CLEARFIELD herbicide uses including
ODYSSEY® DLX for CLEARFIELD canola, SOLOTM for CLEARFIELD
lentils and ODYSSEY and SOLO for CLEARFIELD sunflowers.
There are also changes to the CLEARFIELD Commitment for 2008.
Since 2002, growers have been signing a CLEARFIELD Commitment
which outlines each party’s responsibilities associated with the
use of CLEARFIELD technology and also serves as an annual
license to access the technology. For 2008, BASF is introducing
a CLEARFIELD Commitment Fee for CLEARFIELD canola and CLEARFIELD
sunflowers. The fee will be $30 per bag of CLEARFIELD canola and
$3 per acre of CLEARFIELD sunflowers. There is no fee for
CLEARFIELD wheat and CLEARFIELD lentils in 2008. Growers of all
CLEARFIELD crops will still be required to sign a CLEARFIELD
Commitment.
"The experience of thousands of CLEARFIELD growers has proven
that CLEARFIELD technology delivers real value," said Kehler.
"At the same time, BASF is investing more than ever in
trait-based technology. Our new CLEARFIELD hybrids, varieties,
herbicides and cropping systems are evidence of that, as are our
recently announced investments and collaborations with BPS (BASF
Plant Sciences), Monsanto and Cibus. The CLEARFIELD Commitment
Fee is part of our strategy to accelerate trait-based
innovations and ultimately deliver even more opportunity to
western Canadian growers."
By signing a CLEARFIELD Commitment, growers will also get access
to the CLEARFIELD AdvantageTM — a new package of benefits
available to growers who use the CLEARFIELD system. The
CLEARFIELD Advantage will be available to all CLEARFIELD growers
and is comprised of several components including the CLEARFIELD
Value Advantage (10% off BASF CLEARFIELD canola and CLEARFIELD
sunflower herbicides, above and beyond the savings available in
the GrowForwardTM Program); the CLEARFIELD One-Pass Advantage (a
100% re-spray in the event of grassy weed control failure for
CLEARFIELD growers using ODYSSEY DLX or ABSOLUTE®, and broadleaf
weed control failure with ALTITUDE® FX); and the CLEARFIELD Seed
Protection Advantage ($1 per acre off all BASF seed treatment
products on all cereal acres grown).
BACKGROUNDER
Collaborations in trait-based
rechnology development
- In addition to existing
CLEARFIELD® technology developments, BASF is also involved
in other trait-based research and development efforts, some
of which involve collaborations with other organizations
focused on crop research and development.
- Examples of such
collaborations that will help shape the future of
trait-based innovations from BASF include those with BASF
Plant Science, the plant biotechnology company of BASF, and
collaborations with Monsanto Company and Cibus LLC.
- BASF Plant Science
(BPS)
- Founded in 1998, BPS,
with research and development platforms in Europe and
North America, is working to optimize crops for more
efficient agriculture, renewable raw materials for
specialty products, and healthier nutrition for humans
and animals.
- It focuses on second-
and third-generation plant biotechnology products and
has a strong discovery platform for developing
agronomically important traits.
- BASF Plant Science
(BPS) and Monsanto R&D collaboration on plant
biotechnology
- This agreement
announced in March 2007, matches the strengths of
both companies for the purpose of developing high
yielding crops and crops that are more tolerant to
stress.
- BPS and Monsanto
have agreed to develop a pipeline of yield and
stress tolerance traits for corn, soybeans, cotton
and canola.
- This pipeline will
exploit the expertise of both companies and
significantly accelerate the discovery of
next-generation technologies and bring a greater
number of traits to market faster.
- BASF and Cibus
collaboration on herbicide tolerant (HT) crops
- In July 2007,
BASF and Cibus announced their collaboration to
develop and commercialize non-GM HT oilseed rape
and canola.
- Cibus’
proprietary gene conversion technology – Rapid
Trait Development System™ – which enables seed
producers to develop crops with commercially
valuable characteristics, will help enhance the
CLEARFIELD Production System in oilseed rape and
canola.
- This method of
development will generate greater non-GM HT seed
options for growers to select from in these two
crops, with a shorter development time than
conventional plant breeding.
-
CLEARFIELD Advantage
fact sheet
- CLEARFIELD
Canola fact sheet
- CLEARFIELD
Committment fact sheet
About BASF Agricultural
Products division
With sales of €3,079 million in 2006, BASF’s Agricultural
Products division is a leader in crop protection and a strong
partner to the farming industry providing well-established and
innovative fungicides, insecticides and herbicides. Farmers use
these products and services to improve crop yields and crop
quality. Other uses include public health, structural/urban pest
control, turf and ornamental plants, vegetation management, and
forestry. BASF aims to turn knowledge rapidly into market
success. The vision of BASF’s Agricultural Products division is
to be the world’s leading innovator, optimizing agricultural
production, improving nutrition, and thus enhancing the quality
of life for a growing world population. Further information can
be found on the web at
www.agro.basf.com.
BASF - The Chemical Company. We don't make a lot of the products
you buy. We make a lot of the products you buy better.®
BASF Corporation, headquartered in New Jersey, is the North
American affiliate of BASF AG, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF
employs more than 15,500 in North America and had sales of
approximately $14.3 billion in 2006.
BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical
Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics,
performance products, agricultural products and fine chemicals
to crude oil and natural gas. As a reliable partner to virtually
all industries, BASF’s high-value products and intelligent
system solutions help its customers to be more successful. BASF
develops new technologies and uses them to meet the challenges
of the future and open up additional market opportunities. It
combines economic success with environmental protection and
social responsibility, thus contributing to a better future.
BASF has approximately 95,000 employees and posted sales of
€52.6 billion (approximately $66.1 billion) in 2006. Further
information on BASF is available on the Internet at
www.basf.com.
Always read and follow label directions.
ABSOLUTE, ALTITUDE, CLEARFIELD and ODYSSEY are registered
trademarks and Advantage,
GrowForward and SOLO are trademarks of BASF. All other products
mentioned are trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective companies. |
|
